March 2023

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C O M M I T T E D TO

At UT Health Austin, we believe in providing patients and their families with the tools that allow them to make informed decisions about their health. Meet Nicole Turgeon, MD, a transplant surgeon and the Surgical Director for the Abdominal Transplant Center, a clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin Dr Turgeon empowers organ donors and recipients to become active participants in their healthcare journey to ensure the best possible health outcomes. Find out more by scanning the QR code.

BY CY WHITE

PHOTOS BY JOI CONTI

BY JENNY HOFF

SHURONDA ROBINSON CEO

KIP GARVEY COO

CY WHITE Managing Editor

JAIME ALBERS Creative Director

DARBY KENDALL Copy Editor

KRISNA MENIER Community and Events Manager

NINA GLORIA Production Coordinator

CLAIRE HELENIAK Social Media Specialist

MICHELLE BERMEA Media Sales Executive CONTRIBUTORS

Editorial:

Samantha Greyson, Jenny Hoff, Mélat, Cy White

Art: Joi Conti, KUTX, Michael Minasi, Notley, Dawn Okoro, Liz Plachta, Ismael Quintanilla, Slow Pulse

INTERNS

Samantha Greyson, Jessica Spendley, Brena Ullrich, Isabella Urby

Contributors

This month, we asked our contributors: What are you looking forward to at SXSW 2023?

JENNY HOFF

Writer, “The Women of Radio,” Page 46

• She’s visited 54 countries.

• She covered the war in Afghanistan as a journalist.

• She interviewed Tony Robbins for a podcast.

“The energy in Austin during SXSW is unsurpassed. At my first in 2005, I walked into a bar and saw Billy Idol. Just being at the center of such an iconic event is a fun experience.”

CY WHITE

Writer, “We Built This!” Page 36

• She recorded a three-song demo when she was 12 years old.

• She has a tattoo of a combined bass and treble clef on her neck.

• She recently conducted a Korean rapper’s very first English-language interview.

“I’m always most looking forward to the artist friends from Korea and on the Korean music beat who I only get to see once a year. That kind of happiness is unmatched!”

SAMANTHA GREYSON

SHURONDA ROBINSON

LANA MACRUM

LYNELLE MCKAY

TERRY MITCHELL

GRETEL PERERA

ANA RUELAS

NEHA SAMPAT

SAMANTHA STEVENS

Writer, “Women-Owned Entertainment Resources in Austin,” Page 56

• She cannot stop crocheting scarves.

• She loves to write and read poetry.

• She is a dedicated plant mom.

“The Austin music scene continues to introduce me to new, exciting artists whom I intend to follow for years to come. This year’s SXSW, I can’t wait to discover up-and-coming bands to look out for.”

MELINDA GARVEY Co-owner/Co-founder

CEO/Co-owner

Co-owner

Co-owner

Co-owner

Co-owner

Co-owner

Co-owner

Co-founder

S A V E T H E D A T E

y absolute favorite album of all time is Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. There’s something otherworldly about this double album that ruins every other album in the world for me. The arrangements, the genre selection on every single track (across, need I remind you, two albums), composition, lyricism, storytelling to the gods! It’s one of those moments in music history that many have attempted to emulate, yet none have been able to even come close to the hem of its garment.

Needless to say, besides my family, music is absolutely the single most important thing to me. It carries me away when I feel I’m cemented to the floor. It’s my healing in moments when I’m tormented by so many hardships and internal battles. When, as singer-songwriter Gallant says, I’m pulling my weight in gold and can’t lift this heaviness on my own. It’s fitting, then, that March is our Music issue. Because how could it be anything else? With SXSW a looming supernova on the horizon for all of the music world, and Austin’s universally acknowledged “Live Music Capital of the World” moniker, it’s only right that we at Austin Woman pay homage to the women who have lifted the industry on its shoulders, nurtured, watered and sculpted it into the greatness it is. Our cover…? What a time to be alive. Count this as another indelible moment in music history. Thirteen women, ranging in genre, industry, ethnicity, sexual identity, age and wisdom. This was a celebration of musical legacy, a fellowship of women across generations. In the aftermath of a freeze that left people without electricity for over a week and left many trees felled and scattered in the streets and on roadsides, these women convened to share space, breath, energy. They stood together, shoulder to shoulder, smiles and hugs and words of love. It always comes back to love.

This issue is filled with it. The love of music and women in the industry pushed KUTX to carve out enormous spaces for woman-identified DJs and music aficionados. The love of a mother, for her daughter who’s “rockin’ an extra chromosome,” pushed her to create opportunities for others just like her child to continue their higher education. The love of her city allowed a musician born to immigrant parents to come out of her shell and pursue her dreams. All of these women and more bless the pages of this issue. And I, the fiend for music that I am, simply bask in the brilliance of it all.

There are so many women who make this industry flourish. Women from various genres and industries who weren’t featured, but are absolutely not forgotten. Though they might not be in this issue physically, this is far from the last time we’ll put women in music at the forefront. You are recognized, you are loved and you are as much a part of this moment as anyone in this issue.

As Elder Stevie said, “Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand.” In reverence to him and to every woman in this industry, I say thank you.

Publication of Austin Woman would not be possible without the support of our monthly advertisers and sponsors, who believe in the impact we are making in the Austin community. The following businesses have stepped up their support of our efforts beyond traditional advertising and we are proud to recognize them as our partners. The team at Austin Woman is grateful for these businesses that have shown their commitment to the advancement of women in Austin and hopes you, as readers, recognize their efforts and support these businesses and all our regular advertisers.

CY WHITE EDITOR

DIAMOND-LEVEL PARTNER

PLATINUM-LEVEL PARTNERS

Editor’s Picks: Cover Woman Albums

Lisa Morales: She Ought To Be King

Mama Duke: Ballsy Mélat: After All: Episode One

Flores: Singer for the People

After taking her second U.S. stage at SXSW this year, El Paso native Flores spoke with Austin Woman about music, message and her future.

Rain in the Desert: SXSW Interview with Lisa Morales

Lisa Morales gives everything to her music and the craft. She talks to Austin Woman about her music, her feelings about SXSW and her future.

EqualizeHer Highlights the Future of Austin Music

Thanks to the Linda Perry and Alisha Ballard’s EqualizeHer efforts, two rising musical stars get the chance to experience the national stage at SXSW.

A Q&A With Create & Cultivate Founder

Jaclyn Johnson

The Create & Cultivate founder on building a successful brand, her advice for millennials in the workplace and her favorite spots in Austin.

New to Us: Gold Rush Vinyl

As the only woman in the U.S. to own a vinyl press (with a woman-operated plant), Caren Kelleher has revolutionized the art of record making.

Igrew up in a household where vinyl records were very much a part of the music listening experience. The crackle of feedback before the first song starts, the analog formatting that somehow amplifies the brilliant soundscapes coming from the record—these are memories stamped into my mind and my ear that inform my consumption of music.

One cannot talk about music without vinyl being a part of the conversation. It’s been one of the most resilient forms of engaging with the medium. Invented in the early 1900s and popularized after World War II, the vinyl format has seen a resurgence in the past decade. Vinyl itself has a fascinating history. As part of a surge in plastic goods, vinyl is a synthetic plastic known as polyvinyl chloride (or more commonly, PVC) made from crude oil. Prior to 1948, records were made with shellac (which, by the way, comes from secretions of the female lac bug) and could only hold one five-minute song on each side. Then in 1948, Columbia Records introduced the first modern vinyl record as we know and love it today.

Those who press the music into vinyl should count themselves among the artists who make the music industry thrive. Unsurprisingly, the list of women who do this is incredibly small. Fortunately for us, there happens to be a woman right here in Austin who’s at the forefront of what many music aficionados believe is the purest way to consume music. When Caren Kelleher left her position as head of Music App Partnerships at Google (helping to launch both Google Music and Google Play, by the way) to get into the business of making vinyl records, she was only the second woman to do so..

Founded in 2018, Gold Rush Vinyl is a record pressing plant based in Austin. Out of a desire to give fans of vinyl a high-quality product and to allow artists to bring in the revenue they deserve and would otherwise not get from streaming platforms, Kelleher created the press to focus “specifically on helping independent musicians make more money off their music.”

She was listed on Forbes’s “The Next 1000” list for her innovation as one of the only woman-owned and -operated pressing plant, with “turnaround three times faster than the industry standard” and “lean manufacturing processes and energy-efficient factory design.” She was also ranked No. 6 on FastCompany’s list of “The 10 most innovative music companies of

2020,” right behind BigHit Entertainment (the JYP Entertainment sister company that created the Korean pop music juggernaut that is BTS), BMG (who’s artist-forward approach to representation has reinvented the way artists are compensated for their craft) and 88Rising (the groundbreaking indie label responsible for ushering in a significant wave of Asian hip hop to the masses). She listed higher than veterans like Dobly and music-streaming service Pandora.

Gold Rush Vinyl is a business you need to know about. Being one of the only women in the U.S. (and possibly the world) to bring vinyl to music fans and collectors alike, Kelleher has carved out a formidable and innovative space for women who love music.

Find out more about Gold Rush Vinyl at: goldrushvinyl.com goldrushvinyl

Photo by Amanda Hoffman Art.

What’s your first musical memory?

The Austin Woman team reminisces on the first time they fell in love with music.

NINA GLORIA, PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Is it funny to say that my first musical memory is of my dad? Growing up, and still to this day, there’s always a guitar riff that fills the house. If there’s one thing my dad loves just as much as his family, it’s playing the guitar. My dad started his rock band 21BLACK in 2004, and it has been so inspiring to see him perform for almost the past 20 years. I remember the long days and late nights being there to support the band, and I will always cherish those memories I have of watching my dad do what he loves. I’ve learned to admire the sounds of classic rock from a young age, and you can imagine the shock that came from adults when saying that I knew songs from Van Halen and Deep Purple as a kid. That’s what makes music so special—its ability to transcend time and be enjoyed by many generations.

CLAIRE HELENIAK, SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

My first musical memory takes me back to when I was young, dancing as my uncle or dad played guitar for my cousins and me. By the age of 4, I started playing on a kiddie drum set, then later joined band, where I played flute in middle school at O. Henry. Through band at O. Henry and Austin High, I got to experience playing with bands like Saints of Valory and marching in the London New Year’s Day Parade. I now play piccolo in the Bobcat Basketball Band at Texas State University. It’s an amazing experience that I love and where I’ve met some of my best friends in the entire world. Even when I’m not playing an instrument, I’m listening to playlists of some of my favorite artists, Taylor Swift and SZA, to name a few.

ISABELLA URBY, MARKETING INTERN

I can still picture the moments with my first experience listening to music. At a young age, I used to go on drives with my mom; I was like her little best friend. We would listen to various musicians and artists as we drove in her white truck with the windows down through our small hometown of Del Rio, Texas. I became familiar with artists like George Strait, Maná and Lionel Richie thanks to her CD collection. My introduction to music was during the warm Texas summers, singing and laughing as the sun would set. These are some of my best memories of spending time with my mother. Looking back, I realize she probably had no idea how significant those times would be to me. As we would sing along to the radio, it felt like those unique moments were created especially for us.

CY WHITE, MANAGING EDITOR

It was my sixth birthday. I remember my dad saying, “Turn around and close your eyes.” I had no idea what he was up to, but I remember thinking it was totally weird that he would ask me to close my eyes. After maybe a minute, I hear the opening piano glissando of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” I completely lost my mind. I can’t rightly say what caused my obsession with Michael Jackson, and of course by extension The Jackson 5, but I was absolutely hopeless. According to my family, I would nearly black out when Michael came on the TV. (Mind you, I don’t remember any of that…though I guess if I blacked out that makes sense.) My dad buying the CD version of Greatest Hits, the original Jackson 5 greatest hits album from 1971, and saying it was mine was both the most amazing gift I’d ever gotten to that point and my very first memory of falling (quite literally) head over heels for music.

SHURONDA ROBINSON, CEO

My first musical memory was of my grandmother singing in church. No instruments. Syncopated rhythms that would carry you to another place. Hand claps. Foot taps. Call and response. Wooden benches as drums. The growl, the grit, the wail and vibrato flowed out of a woman who came from a people who knew struggle and triumph. Church was the place to take all of that struggle and joy and push it out from your diaphragm to let Jesus know you were His. The energy those notes created were eternal. I find myself humming fragments of what I remember from those times to be in the presence of my ancestors.

Scream Queen

Brooke Hampton, founder and lead vocalist of Austin hardcore metal band Slow Pulse, shows us that girls just want to scream.

BY CY WHITE

Here’s something completely unexpected on a Friday afternoon: a blonde woman in a red dress growling at me. Picture sitting at a desk steadily slogging through dozens of emails. Suddenly, a subject line like a slap in the face, reminiscent of a now-famous panel out of a classic Batman comic: “Brooke Hampton is a Bad Ass!”

Well, good afternoon to you too! Tim Lupa, co-owner of Drinks Records, Drinks Lounge and its “Little” sister, certainly knows how to grab a girl’s attention. The email contains a link to a video—Hampton and her hardcore band, Slow Pulse, performing at Drinks Records. The music starts much like most metal: a slow build that leads into a vocal fry. (Think “Dig” from Mudvayne.) While not unexpected, there’s no preparation for a petite blond absolutely annihilating the speakers.

Hampton laughs at this. Obviously it’s a sentiment she gets often.

How did hardcore metal become something you wanted to do?

It was always something I wanted to do, but, you know, life just happens. I went to college; pretty soon after that, after working in radio for a while, I started a makeup and hair company with my best friend, blush ’n bangs. I felt very fulfilled in that for years.

Then I was like, “I feel like I’ve checked off a lot of things that I’ve done in my life, and I really want to do that one thing that I wanted to do as a teenager.” So I said, “I’m just gonna do it.” Then I just recorded a song and put it on Instagram and was like, “Does anyone want to be in a band?” People were replying like, “Oh my God, I did not know that you sounded like that!”

So then I reached out to one of my buddies who runs emo night at Barbarella. I went and saw this band called Hellfury at Jester King, and it’s female fronted. [Bobbie Kleman] doesn’t really scream, per se, like what I do, but she has heavier vocals. So I watched her, had a beer and was like, “I want to do this. It’s time.” That was probably around March of last year.

It’s literally hit the ground running, and I can’t believe where it’s taken us so far. It’s been awesome. I’m beyond happy with it. The band was the one thing that I really wanted to do. I said as a 13-year-old girl, “I want to found a hardcore band,” and I did.

What’s the story behind the name Slow Pulse?

I have a husky that is an escape artist. The first song we ever wrote was called “Riverside River,” and it is about him. I lived off Riverside, and he snuck out of my house. He killed a bunny rabbit in someone’s

front yard, like their pet rabbit at a birthday party. I had to go to court for it. He's a very sweet dog, but that was just a freak [accident]. They took me to court, and they’re trying to get my dog out of the city of Austin. They didn’t, and my dog is still here. So I wrote a song about it. I wrote it kind of from the rabbit’s [point of view], like “The pulse is slow.” I wanted something brutal. So “slow pulse,” as in if your pulse is slow and you are dying. It’s all kind of intertwined.

Beyond doing the main vocals, do you do anything else (writing or composing, for example)?

I’ve written most of the lyrics thus far. Our bassist has had a lot of ideas vocally, so he did one of our songs, but I’ve done the rest. I lost my mom to cancer in 2015, and I was pissed off. Religion, the chemo, everything kind of pissed me off, so I actually wrote the majority of our songs that we have out right now prior to forming the band. I wrote the lyrics because they were just kind of like poems or possibly lyrics. They were about life being unfair, how super sweet, innocent people die, get diseased and are really sick; then manipulative, bad people can live a full life. I just felt really like I was cheated by losing my mom so young. I think that’s also what kind of pushed me to just start the band because I had these lyrics just kind of sitting there. Our first release was “No Path,” and that is about my mom. Then “Incinerate” was also about my mom going through chemo. I already had [the lyrics] down before the music even had come to it.

Sky’s the limit, what’s the biggest dream you have for Slow Pulse?

I’ve just always loved women doing the thing. I feel more women are coming up. Bands like Dying Wish, SCOW, Dive Bomb, GEL. Like, they’re all doing the thing. I would love to be an opening act for them, then eventually, work our way up to headliner status. But even just opening for one of them would be like such an honor.

Read the interview in its entirety at atxwoman.com.

Photos courtesy of Slow Pulse.

The Evolution of Joy

Independent Austin artist Jackie Venson is a pioneer to the new found Wild West of music.

BY SAMANTHA GREYSON

Seven years ago, Austin singer and guitarist Jackie Venson was funding and booking her own tours, with little national recognition, still a ball of soft clay waiting to be molded.

“In 2016, I’d only been playing the guitar for five years,” Venson says. “So I was actually kind of terrible. I love this city because even when I was bad at the guitar, people here were so supportive. They would tell me that I was good, and it was so crazy because I just couldn’t believe them. I’m like, ‘You guys, how do you think I’m good?’”

Since her 2016 cover, Venson has toured numerous times, including in 2017, when she opened for Gary Clark Jr., showcasing her unique sound—a combination of electric guitar, drums and bluesy, clear vocals.

“The tour with Gary Clark Jr. [solidified] my touring career in a lot of ways,” Venson says. “I started touring in 2014, and it wasn’t until I went on tour with Gary that anything really made sense, that it looked like I could actually tour under my own name and actually make more than $100 somewhere outside of Texas or outside Austin.”

After the tour, Venson developed new stylistic techniques, as well as a new audience. Instead of attending open-mic nights in other cities, she was selling 150 tickets in Tulsa or the Twin Cities.

Now, she envisions herself as a pioneer of the “new” music industry. The old days of record labels and high-falutin producers are over.

Venson describes the COVID-19 pandemic as the “final nail in the coffin” for the old music

industry, where one record label controlled an artist’s sales, tours and albums. As an independent artist and “pioneer,” she utilizes the internet to boost her career by posting on all social media platforms and sharing her music to a large audience.

“My whole job when I’m not on tour is to record more stuff and make more videos. That’s kind of the name of the game with the new music industry. It’s a mixture of quality and quantity; it’s large amounts of quality things. If it takes you five years, six years, seven years to get to a point where you have a lot of albums, a lot of music and a lot of videos, then so be it. I’d rather take longer and have it be more democratic.”

For Venson, the pandemic allowed her music to reach a larger audience.

“I released more music than I ever have before,” she says. “But that also led to more people discovering me that never had before. Then at the end of that year, I actually landed my first Austin City Limits TV taping, and it was because of all of the buzz that I had garnered. I shifted my whole career to the internet, made more music than I ever have in my life and also got more exposure than I ever have in my life. No label helps me get that exposure; all I did for that exposure was frequency.”

2020, Venson also began remixing her own music to create a calmer sound through her side project, Jackie the Robot.

In

Photos courtesy of Jackie Venson.

“My songs all have really strong melodies,” she says. “A lot of people like those songs, but they’re really big and have a lot of energy in them. Some people don’t want that when they’re putting music on. They want something that will help them tune out.”

Jackie the Robot is a way for Venson to explore another side of music and release more of it.

“Let’s say you’re home and it’s one in the morning and you’re trying to unwind. You’re not going to put on some hyper high-energy rock song,” Venson says. “It’s going to be a slower hip-hop beat. It’s stuff that you can zone out to, and that’s what I want to cover with Jackie the Robot, because Jackie Venson’s music will never be that.”

To hear the changes in Venson’s music listen to Joy, recorded in 2018, and then listen to Evolution of Joy, a 2023 revamp of the original album.

“[In Evolution of Joy], everything is beefier. Everything’s bigger. Everything is more consistent. Everything is better put together, more organized, and the skills are better,” Venson says. “The techniques are all there presented. I’m excited about having Evolution of Joy as a foundation for who I am now [and] releasing more projects under that foundation.”

My whole job when I’m not on tour is to record more stuff and make more videos. That’s kind of the name of the game with the new music industry.

—Jackie Venson

Rockin’ the Rainbow

With their Rockin’ With Ruby concert, Ruby’s Rainbow helps fund higher education for young men and women with Down syndrome.

BY CY WHITE

It all started with an extra chromosome. That’s when Liz Plachta’s life took a shift she could have never expected. Her second daughter, Ruby, was born with Down syndrome, a condition in which someone is born with 47 instead of 46 chromosomes. This causes mild to moderate developmental disabilities. For Plachta, it was the most amazing gift. “That little extra chromosome is pretty magical,” she says. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, the world needs to know how amazing this little peanut is.’ I want the world to see what I see in her, that she’s amazing and capable. She was the most determined little baby and still is the most determined little kid I’ve ever seen.”

Determined to contribute to research and awareness surrounding Down syndrome, Plachta conceived of Ruby’s Rainbow, an organization whose mission is to aid those also living with the condition further their education with a scholarship program. With the Rockin’ With Ruby concert, the organization raises money to keep upping the ante and providing more monetary support for young adults with Down syndrome.

Tell us about Ruby’s Rainbow.

[After Ruby was born], I got home and my heart just kept telling me I needed to do something, you know. There was something that I needed to do for this amazing community of people. I was super laser focused on the future: Was she going to have friends? Was she going to have a job she loves? Was she going to be accepted by society? Was she going to have a community? My friends and my community have always been my world and my lifeline, so of course I wanted that for her. I wanted her to have all the same things that her older sister, Ella Mae, had, all the same opportunities.

I looked at my husband one day when Ruby was about 6 months old and said, ‘I want to help somebody with Down syndrome go to college.’ I didn’t know at that time of people with Down syndrome who were going to college. Back then, I wanted to find that one person that’s going for their college dreams and help them. Come to find out, there are amazing programs across the nation that are specifically for people who have intellectual disabilities that help give them the support they need to come on campus, explore different educational tracks and be a part of college campus life, gain independence and confidence and all these things that we got to do when we graduated high school. Learning from making mistakes and being on your own and not having your parents hovering over you telling you right from wrong.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Rockin’ With Ruby: March 4

321 Pledge Fundraiser: March 7 through March 21

World Down Syndrome Awareness Day: March 21

LINKS TO REMEMBER:

Join the Rockin’ With Ruby Party: bit.ly/rockin2023

Take the 321 Pledge: 321pledge.org

Photos courtesy of Liz Plachta.

Liz Plachta and Ruby

What has been the most rewarding aspect of running Ruby’s Rainbow?

This past year, we exceeded granting over $2 million in scholarships. For reference, that first year, we granted $22,000 or something like that. This past year, we granted $483,219 to amazing and capable humans that are rocking that extra chromosome for their dreams of higher education and independence. Also, about 10% of our recipients are degree-seeking. They’re going for their bachelor’s or their associate’s. We even have one recipient going for her master’s; she’s the only person in the world with Down syndrome who’s doing that. I get a little tearyeyed at the fact that I get to not only show the worth of people with Down syndrome but also help them go for their dreams and be the best they can be.

Tell us about the Rockin’ with Ruby event.

Rockin’ With Ruby is a live music extravaganza that we’re throwing as a kickoff to our 321 Pledge, which is our biggest fundraising and awareness campaign of the year. It pretty much dictates how much money we’re going to give out every year. Last year, in the two-week pledge period we raised about $467,000 and were able to give 483 scholarships. It’s such an exciting time for me, just to be able to shout and share stories. This year we’re sharing four amazing stories. Two recipients that we have going to Villanova. Aiden is in the marching band at Villanova, and Ellie is a Villanova cheerleader.

Then we are sharing another recipient this month. Rachel Hanlon is going for her Master of Fine Arts at Pratt Institute, which is amazing. It’s very incredible. We’re also sharing Ruby’s story. The whole theme this year is about inclusion and how inclusion has really changed the lives of not only our recipients, but the communities around them. All it takes is somebody believing in you and raising the expectation.

That fundraising drive kicks off March 7, and March 4 is the Rockin’ With Ruby event. We have two live bands: The Anna Larson band and The Reverent Few. It’s gonna be super fun. Ruby will be there sharing her story of inclusion.

Talk about the 321 Pledge.

World Down Syndrome Day is March 21. People with Down Syndrome have three copies of their 21st chromosome, which is why March 21, 3/21, is the day that we celebrate them and just shout to the rooftops how much we love them and how worthy they are of all the things. During this two-week pledge drive, we ask people to donate 21 bucks, just as a little nod to the 21st chromosome, and share [the pledge] with three people. Another huge part of our mission is not just raising the funds for the scholarships, but also raising awareness. So for us, sharing is just as important as any donation. Our goal this year is to raise $500,000 by March 21. Being able to have a front-row seat into the lives of people with Down syndrome and their accomplishments and not only what they’re accomplishing, but also how they’re changing the narrative and changing hearts and minds—just being a part of that in some small way has really filled my heart and my life with so much joy.

Read the article in its entirety on atxwoman.com.

Another huge part of our mission is not just raising the funds for the scholarships, but also raising awareness.

—Liz Plachta

Austin Women Hold Space for Each Other

This year’s Moontower Ball recognized women making intentional strides for change in Austin.

BY CY WHITE

On Feb. 4, the second annual Notley Moontower Ball recognized some of Austin’s most innovative and intentional changemakers. Part awards show, part gala, it was a celebration of the city’s dedication to fostering tangible, substantial change to the status quo. The evening’s keynote speaker, Amanda Nguyen, a 2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee and 2022 TIME Woman of the Year, shared her experience and ignited the room with her powerful story. She’s more than a sexual assault survivor; she’s a fighter, an undeniable example of how believing in one’s strength can push them to be a voice for the voiceless.

“Gathering in space at the Moontower Ball was beautiful,” says Denise Hernández, judge of County Court at Law #6 in Travis County. “These moments of celebration are so important because we tell each other, ‘I see you!’ That’s what left a deep impression on me at the Moontower Ball, the way we held space for each other to honor, see and uplift the good work of local changemakers.”

With the intoxicating melodies of a saxophonist, a set curated by “Obama’s DJ,” DJ Mel, and live paintings from

Photos courtesy of Notley.

artist Beth Consetta Rubel keeping attendees riveted, one would be forgiven for believing this was only a night for folks to make merry. But at the heart of it, the event is really an earnest means to honestly address the issues facing the city and those who have made it their mission to provide actionable solutions for those issues.

Three women were recognized: Sarah Jones Simmer, CEO of Found, “a digital health platform on a mission to make evidence-based, sustainable weight care accessible for all”; Nora Linares-Moeller, executive director of HousingWorks Austin, a nonprofit that “conducts research, educational initiatives and advocacy around housing affordability in Austin and the Central Texas region”; and Hernández. The three won Innovative For Profit, Affordability Champion and Racial Justice Champion, respectively.

For Jones Simmer, a mother of two daughters and a two-year breast cancer survivor, the Moontower Ball offers a unique opportunity for those doing hands-on work in the community to get the acknowledgment they deserve. “The most special moment was being able to celebrate the recognition together with a few of our teammates who live in and around Austin,” she says. “We all gathered on stage to accept the award together, which was really meaningful, especially since some of the early employees have been with

the company longer than I have! I was thrilled to see their great work recognized.”

As she accepted her award, Hernández understood the gravity of the moment, the reality that this recognition is a catalyst for honest conversations around racial justice. “The courtroom is often a traumatizing space,” she says. “My lived experience has shaped my personal mission to increase fair and equitable access to the courtroom. This recognition has further propelled that mission by offering a platform of awareness around racial justice, safe space, trauma-informed practices and collective care. Racial justice and fair access to the legal system are deeply intertwined. When we acknowledge that, we can begin to transform our legal system for the better.”

Linares-Moeller was awed at the undeniable radiant power in the room. Receiving the Affordability Champion distinction only further propelled her dedication for providing affordable housing for everyone in Austin. “Our passion for housing affordability in our community is led by my board of directors, staff, housing advocates (some of them my fellow nominees) who all believe like I do that nothing is more important than having a healthy and stable home for every individual or family who needs one,” she says. “This award just fuels our mission even further.”

These moments of celebration are so important because we tell each other,

‘I see you!’ That’s what left a deep impression on me at the Moontower Ball, the way we held space for each other to honor, see, and uplift the good work of local changemakers.”

—Denise Hernández

Michele Anderson serves as the chief executive officer of Austin Habitat for Humanity, serving Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays and Travis counties. Originally from Virginia, Anderson moved to Austin with her husband to help lead Austin Habitat to new heights and further their mission of bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. As the affordability crisis continues to rise across Central Texas, many cannot purchase a safe, decent home. As a result, families cannot realize the benefits of affordable homeownership, including financial stability, the ability to pay for quality health care, education advancement and a safe community for their families. Anderson believes Austin Habitat plays a crucial role locally and nationally by acting as an innovator and leader in affordable housing. Besides fulfilling the critical work at Austin Habitat, her great joys include quality time with her friends and family, great food, good music, being outdoors and a good laugh. austinhabitat.org

Photo by Joi Conti Photography LLC.

MICHELE ANDERSON CEO | AUSTIN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

HEARTGIFT’S TRIO OF TALENTED LEADERSHIP:

MARYANN BELL, BOARD CHAIR; CHRISTY CASEY-MOORE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; KAREN WRIGHT, M.D., CARDIOLOGIST AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR

The statistics are staggering: 1 in 100 babies are born with a congenital heart defect, and many won’t make it to their next birthday. In countries like the United States, children are treated immediately. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for youngsters living in rural parts of the world where access to specialized medical care is either scarce or nonexistent. HeartGift, an Austin-based nonprofit, targets these numbers directly. The organization and its three chapters in Texas and Louisiana provide free life-saving heart surgeries to the most vulnerable children from 35 countries. Since 2000, HeartGift has coordinated and gifted nearly 800 surgeries thanks to medical partners, generous donors and volunteer host families. Future plans include increasing the number of children cared for in the U.S. and abroad through international medical missions and partnerships with hospitals in Asia, Africa and Central America. “It’s simple…one gift translates into exponential impact. These children go on to live happy, healthy lives. It’s the right thing to do,” says Christy Casey-Moore, HeartGift CEO. heartgift.org

Since 2013, Amplify Austin Day has raised $93 million for hundreds of local nonprofits. Organized by I Live Here I Give Here, this year’s giving event will support 700 nonprofits and 19 cause categories across seven counties.

Among the list of participating nonprofits are dozens of organizations on a mission to help local women. To name just a few:

Delivering Unto You provides high-quality, culturally appropriate support for childbirth education and care to families of color. They are also working to increase the number of Black birth workers in Austin and the surrounding areas.

Magdalene House of Austin is a survivor-led community for adult women who have survived sex trafficking. They offer safe and supportive housing, access to health care services, counseling and vocational training for women in need.

Women’s Storybook Project of Texas connects children with their incarcerated moms through the joy of literature. Participating prisons record moms reading stories for their children to help maintain and strengthen the bond between mother and child while they are apart.

With so many amazing organizations to support, we know it’s not always easy to decide where to give. Luckily, amplifyatx.org makes finding organizations simple. Each nonprofit is organized by a “cause category.” You can search different causes from health care and wellness to LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC-led. Once you select the causes that mean most to you, you’ll be given a list of matching nonprofits to help.

It’s no secret that Central Texas has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade. Thousands of people have come to call Austin and the surrounding communities home. This has created a greater need for resources and support for our local nonprofits. As Central Texas grows, so must giving.

You love where you live. Now, love where you give at amplifyatx.org

Veronda Durden | President and Chief Executive Officer

Any Baby Can

Veronda Durden joined Any Baby Can as president and chief executive officer in 2018. Focusing on child development and family health, Any Baby Can partners with parents to identify tools and resources so children reach their full potential. Any Baby Can’s mission aligned with Durden’s desire to provide quality services and resources to vulnerable populations. As former Commissioner of the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, she led leadership for a statewide staff responsible for ensuring Texans with disabilities and children with developmental delays pursue independent and productive lives. As Any Baby Can expands to meet the growing needs of Central Texans, Durden proactively leads the organization in providing programs and services to families that impact their ability to reach their highest potential. She is a strong leader who enjoys building resilient high-performing teams and watching them excel. anybabycan.org

Valerie Wilmot | President and Executive Director

Asmbly Makerspace

Stepping into the creative hub that is Asmbly Makerspace, you’ll find a vibrant inviting community led by Valerie Wilmot, president and executive director. With a lifelong passion for creating, she took her first cuts on a miter saw alongside her father as a young girl. Surrounded by power tools and heavy machinery—a setting traditionally dominated by men— Wilmot works to ensure anyone and everyone with the slightest curiosity to create has a safe space and opportunity to explore at Asmbly. As an educational nonprofit, Asmbly leads the way in providing tools, equipment and classes in a variety of mediums including woodworking, metal work, lasers, 3D printing, textiles and electronics. This year, Wilmot is especially proud and excited to establish the first ever scholarship fund to Asmbly. This scholarship will benefit young adults transitioning out of foster care, giving these youth an opportunity to learn new skills and explore their creativity during these formative years. asmbly.org

Dr. Leah Newkirk Meunier | Chief Executive Officer

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas

Dr. Leah Newkirk Meunier is the chief executive officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, an organization that provides life-changing one-to-one mentoring services designed to help kids, particularly those who are facing adversity, realize their potential and achieve their biggest possible futures. For more than 20 years, Meunier’s career has been focused on strengthening systems to improve outcomes for children. Her background includes teaching experience at the University of Texas at Austin, research focused on early childhood and adolescent development and senior leadership roles at United Way for Greater Austin and Workforce Solutions Capital Area. bigmentoring.org

CareBOX Program

Chandler Stancliff joined CareBOX Program in early 2016 and became executive director in October 2019. Founded in 2014, CareBOX Program strives to prevent malnutrition, infections and injuries from falls by providing cancer patients with free essential care supplies while they recover at home from cancer treatment. The supplies provided are typically not covered by insurance, and many patients would go without. Reporting to and working with the very active all-volunteer board of directors, Stancliff oversees product procurement, patient onboarding, fulfillment, volunteer coordination and fundraising efforts. The most significant reason for her dedication to the mission of CareBOX Program is her personal and passionate commitment to helping cancer patients. Stancliff became very involved with the organization when her father was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. She works tirelessly in honor of his memory. careboxprogram.org

Central Texas Table of Grace

After leaving an alcoholic and neglectful mother and entering the foster care system at the age of two, Stacy Johnson spent the next 14 years moving from home to home, dreaming that someday she would open a children’s shelter and help other kids like herself. In May of 2014, that dream came to fruition as she opened Central Texas Table of Grace (CTTG), an emergency shelter for children ages 6 to 17 in foster care who have nowhere else to go. The mission of CTTG is to create a loving, nurturing, homelike environment for displaced youth in the Central Texas area, providing shelter and healthy food as well as teaching healthy habits and life skills. In 2021, the Grace365 program was launched, a supervised independent living program for kids 18 to 22 who have aged out of foster care. The youth are provided with a fully furnished apartment, workforce/college preparation, life skills training, mentorship and more. centraltexastableofgrace.org

Change 1

Cortney Jones is the founder and executive director of Change 1, a volunteer program that brings together community organizations, nonprofits, churches and schools to increase volunteerism, mentoring and fostering to transition and aged youth 15 to 26 years of age. Jones’ life mission is to help others find their true potential, while inspiring children, youth and families to never let their past situations determine their future. As a former foster youth herself, Jones has dedicated the past 14 years to advocating for youth in the foster care system. As a social worker she presents a compelling case for the Restorative Approach as a best practice in trauma-informed child treatment. She believes integrating current research on trauma and treatment with practicality, compassion and ethics can help children, youth and families succeed. She is a tireless advocate for change. Join her today and become a change agent. change1.org

Chandler Stancliff | Executive Director

33 | SPECIAL

Stacy Johnson | Founder and CEO

33 | SPECIAL

Cortney Jones, MSW | Founder and Executive Director

Acia Gray | Executive Artistic Director

Tapestry Dance

As a dance producer, soloist, choreographer and master teacher, Acia Gray is the co-founder and executive artistic director of Tapestry Dance, now in its 33rd season. Gray has shared the stage with numerous tap legends and contemporaries around the globe. Her book The Souls of Your Feet – A Tap Dance Guide for Rhythm Explorers has been translated in the Czech Republic and China, and in 1998 debuted as an Amazon.com Bestseller in its category. She is a recipient of numerous Austin Chronicle “Best of” awards for her productions at The Paramount Theatre and The Long Center/Rollins Theatre, and other awards include the prestigious Hoofer Award by The American Tap Dance Foundation in NYC. She is also honored to be a premiere member of the Austin Arts Hall of Fame (2002) and proud to be a 2019 Austin Creative Alliance Honoree. Gray is a current member of the Austin Arts Commission. aciagray.com, tapestry.org

Water to Thrive

Susanne Wilson is the executive director of Water to Thrive (W2T). Wilson is originally from Kentucky, has both a B.A. and M.A. from Southern Indiana University and an MBA from Auburn University. She has over 25 years in nonprofit executive management. W2T is an international nonprofit building water wells for rural villages in East Africa. Prior to moving to Austin, she was a Rotary member serving on the board of directors and on their international water committee conducting water projects in El Salvador. She has climbed two mountains, owns more than 50 pairs of shoes, teaches spin, loves the color pink, enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, dancing and working out. On weekends, she can be found sipping a glass of wine, hanging with her four-pound Yorkie, Sophie, and is passionate about doing work that makes an impact and promotes justice (especially for women) in the world. watertothrive.org

Wild Spirit Wild Places

Dr. Karen Looby is CEO of Wild Spirit Wild Places, dedicated to creating connections and building a community committed to protecting the expansive wild lands of Texas through conservation and education. Today, Texas land is under threat from increased development and fragmentation. Connections are paramount to building sustainable conservation efforts. The motivation is simple: we don’t want to be the generation that sat idly by while our wild places disappeared. A native Texan with historic roots, Looby grew up immersed in Texas lore and with an appetite to explore the wild. She has over 30 years of experience as a teacher, administrator and researcher, putting her in a unique position to keep wild places wild. Looby lives in Austin with her husband (also a homegrown Texan) and enjoys spending time with family, spoiling her German shepherds, training her horses and traveling. wildspiritwildplaces.org

Dr. Karen Looby | CEO

Susanne Wilson | Executive Director

We BUILT this!

BY CY WHITE PHOTOS BY JOI CONTI

The forecast promised rain. While the sky did open up, it was early enough in the morning that by the time everyone began to arrive at Music Hill Ranch, any threat of a downpour was forgotten in the rays of a surprising Valentine’s Day sun.

It’s going to be a beautiful day.

The first to arrive, a young Elle Townley. She’s all smiles and exuberant energy. That’s the word for it: exuberant. She’s already in her pink frilled dress, a Texas-sized belt, turquoise boots and jewelry to match. Her smile and energy set the tone for the entirety of the photoshoot. Townley is the new kid on the block. A rising country music star who’s already had accolades showered upon her. Nominated for a Texas Country Music Award at the age of 14, the Round Rock native is just beginning to understand what it means to make history.

“I was actually nominated for Young Artist of the Year for the Texas Country Music Association,” she says. “While I was at the award ceremony, which is in Fort Worth, I got to meet an incredible amount of amazing artists. One that really stuck out to me is Sarah Hobbs. She won Female Artist of the Year. I’ve listened to her, and I’ve really grown to love her music.”

Austin’s music scene wouldn’t exist without the women who keep it going.

STYLED BY ASMA PARVEZ, WITH INSPIRATION FROM THE GARDEN ROOM, ARBOR EYE CENTER AND NORDSTROM.

SHOT ON LOCATION AT MUSIC HILL RANCH. SPECIAL THANKS TO RENÉE ROBERTS.

Next in line, Cassie Shankman, who most people know as DJ Cassandra. Her mood, too, is full of life, happiness, light. She’s quickly followed by Mama Duke, another hometown hero who’s made so much noise on a national stage it’s a wonder anyone else can be heard.

This is Austin music: a little bit country, a lot of rock ’n’ roll (in one way or another). The current state of the music scene in the Live Music Capital of the World is fascinating, considering the last few years. According to the 2022 Greater Austin Music Census, the music industry overall has decreased about 10% since 2014 (which, to be fair, could be a result of survey fatigue from the community). However, the diversity of respondents within the industry has increased. The range of professions tied to the music industry range from the expected (venues, recording spaces, publishing, etc.) to the somewhat surprising (medical and the public sector).

The lockdown and development as a result of rapid population growth saw many local venues shut down. Legendary locales like Shady Grove, BT2, Scratchouse, Barracuda and arguably Austin’s most iconic locale, Threadgill’s, the bar that saw the artistic blooming of Janis Joplin and (depending on who you ask) made Austin weird before Red Wassinech proclaimed we should “Keep Austin weird.”

Still, Austin’s live culture will never fade away (with staples like Stubb’s, Antone’s, the Broken Spoke, the Saxon Pub and The Continental Club still alive and kickin’). In fact, according to the Census, the variety of live options has increased significantly. Community spaces skyrocketed from 6% in 2014 to 35% in 2022.

Townley’s emergence is significant. The amount of young artists entering the music industry has shrunk quite a bit, another factor in the diminishment of the industry overall. Those between the ages of 18 to 24 make up only 6% of the industry, while those 25 to 39 only make up 38%.

That being said, an undeniable eclecticism has embraced a new wave of artists from all walks of life. Shankman, too, has a storied past with music. Having graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in classical music, she pursued the medium with vigor.

“I’ve kind of been around in the music scene here in Austin since 2010,” she says. “I was doing all different kinds of jobs in music. I studied music composition and piano, and I did that for as long as I could until I had to get a full-time corporate job. I’m a composer, a DJ, a piano player and educator. I’m a consultant for film and TV, like if there’s a scene on a TV show with a bunch of kids who

Elle Townley

are trying to learn. Or there was one scene where a father’s trying to learn piano from his son and none of them knew how to play piano, so I had to teach them how to play when they’ve never played piano before. Stuff like that.”

However, nothing in her history suggests she would add DJ to her list of skills. Of course, as most will tell you, the mandatory lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced many to reevaluate, reassess and branch out of their comfort zones to jump into something new. Shankman delighted at the chance for a new adventure.

“I got a really big job writing music for a medical company,” she says. “That’s kind of when I started to learn a little bit about DJing. I’ve always wanted to do that and then picked it up because a friend of mine wanted to do it. I was like, ‘Wait a second, I like this.’ Then one person is like, ‘Oh, I like your sound, I want to hire you for this.’ The next thing you know, down the line, you’re like, ‘I’m a full-time DJ.’ And it is wild.”

Mama Duke? Oh, she’s lived her life fearlessly, both as Kori Roy, a hip-hop head who’s been embarrassing your faves since she started freestyling during lunch in high school, and as Mama Duke, the multi-hyphenate artist

DJ Cassandra

Mama Duke

who now sits on the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy board. But of course, that’s what makes it hip hop: living authentically as yourself, no matter the status quo. There’s nothing “status quo” about Roy. A mixed-heritage Black and Mexican out lesbian woman who can rap circles around your favorite emo mumble-core wannabe, she’s taken every preconceived notion about the genre and kicked them in the teeth.

Even before the cover shoot starts, she’s aware of the aura of the moment. The women who start to trickle all inspire her artistry. “What’s beautiful about this industry is that I started off not knowing some of these women I’m meeting today, but now I do,” she says. “Everyone plays such a big role in their own world. The fact that this cover is so diverse excites me. We all matter in different ways to different communities.”

These three artists are in a very unique position. They’re all poised at the crossroads of past and future. Shankman and Roy represent the Austin music making its way into the public consciousness now. Townley, she finds herself sitting between Austin tradition and the precociousness of Austin’s future, a rising star bolstered by the support of the legends that came before and the women who stand as her mentors now.

“I hope Austin will continue to thrive, and I really hope to be a part of that as it continues to grow,” she muses. “I’d really love to make music my career for the rest of my life, and I’d love to play at some of the legendary venues

like the Broken Spoke and the Saxon Pub. It’d be a dream come true to play at the Moody Center. I’d love to play all those places one day.”

The clock ticks closer to 11 a.m., and more women make their presence known. Soon Music Hill Ranch buzzes with unparalleled feminine energy. Legends of the industry like Marcia Ball, Nancy Coplin, Lurleen Ladd, Leti Garza and Christine Albert embrace young women who are giving the Lone Star capital its current luster. In all, 13 examples of Austin’s expansive musical legacy fill the space.

Ball and Coplin bring an almost regal repose to the gathering. Their wisdom, experience and dedication to this industry is nurturing. It feels like home here. These two legends know of home; with their womenled nonprofit HOME, they’ve dedicated much of the latter part of their respective careers to providing just that to artists in the twilight years of theirs.

The substantial increase in cost of living in the city is a pervasive issue that native Austinites across the board are struggling to grapple with. For creatives, whose incomes are often much lower than those in “traditional” industries, these struggles are amplified. Of those who responded to the census, 38% are struggling to afford housing. It’s also notable that only 64% of respondents will continue to live in the greater Austin area in the next few years.

Younger artists like Mélat, p1nkstar and DJ Kay Cali have established themselves as pioneers in their own right. The art they have created has done more than make a splash. Forget riding a wave; these women have created a tsunami. For instance, p1nkstar, a trans Mexican-American visual artist and DJ, is breaking down barriers and moving mountains for the LGBTQIA+ community, much like Mama Duke.

When all women gather for the first of two group shots, the room vibrates with energy. There is so much love in this house. This is history. Music, unadulterated and pure, has gathered in this space. This group represents only a fraction of the brilliance Austin has to offer. They must know, right? They must know that they are the blueprint. Each and every one of them, and those who aren’t here. Every woman who’s ever made a contribution to this industry—artists, musicians, promoters, advocates, visual performers—she must know she is the catalyst of something spectacular in this city, in this country.

Women built this. Women are the reason Austin’s music industry has legs to stand on. Trailblazers, barrier-breakers, table-shakers, risk-takers. This group of 13 is a testament to the power of music in all its forms and facets. The charge is for them to breathe in this moment: look to the left, look to the right, know they’re sitting next to a sister. Even in the absence of other brilliant purveyors of the craft, know that they are sitting in community and sisterhood.

This photoshoot, this monumental moment, this is a thank-you. Thank you for your gifts, your grace, your indestructible spirit. It’s because of you, all of you, that Austin thrives. Even when businesses fade, buildings close and collapse, music stands tall on your sturdy shoulders.

As the photoshoot comes to an end, the women commune, industry veterans and new kids on the block alike. There are hugs, smiles, selfies. Some of these women haven’t seen each other since before the lockdown. Others have never met at all. For Townley, this is a moment to connect with a few of the industry’s matriarchs, be embraced with their desire to see her succeed. For Shankman and Roy, it’s a chance to re-center, become inspired to press further, reach a status of the women who have come before them and no doubt influenced them, if not in style or profession, certainly in longevity and dedication.

What was forecasted as a rainy day became a glistening Valentine’s Day gift. “It just hit me,” Shankman says as the women meander about, “This is history!” With luck (and there’s no reason to believe otherwise), more history will be made in the future.

LOCATION: MUSIC HILL RANCH

This sprawling seven-acre private gated estate has multiple homes, featuring a single-story custom home with five bedrooms, three and a half baths, gourmet kitchen and a great master suite with a newly renovated master bath. The property also includes three guest houses, a multipurpose entertainment annex with state-of-the-art recording studio, custom control room and rehearsal room, three kitchens, exercise/dance studio, media room and conference room. Many music legends have made memories and music on “the hill.” We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share this magical property with you and your guests to create new memories of your very own.

musichill.com

| 16219 Navajo Trail

Q&A WordsofWisdom

Marcia Ball: “There’s people of all types coming in, people of all levels of income coming in, and I hope that the people who are very well endowed will consider tapping into the nonprofits Like HAAM and HOME and Sims and Swan Songs and Black Fret, Foundation Communities and all the people who are trying to help not just the musical genres. We’re not just not just the musicians, but also all the people who find themselves in distress for one reason or another. In other words, in a town that has billionaires, people should not be sleeping on the street. It would be a drop in the bucket for a billionaire to be able to house those people. And we’ve got more than one.”

Nancy Coplin: “The city needs to work with the music community and the community at large to make Austin more affordable and livable for the music community and creative class. The music scene is a major incentive for companies to move here with their employees. I am hopeful that the venues will not be priced out of their locations by high rents, taxes and utilities and other expenses.”

Leti Garza: “We [need to] SHAKE up the music industry even more with INCLUSION and DIVERSITY. We need festival organizers, talent buyers and presenters of music to ‘buy’ into presenting more international and world music, in addition to rock, blues, alternative and more traditional forms. I hope that the music presented is also for multicultural and gender nonspecific audiences. I hope Austin’s music industry seeks out new talent that is not only produced by our city, or by individuals or groups affiliated with the city, but also supports those musicians without ‘connections,’ and who exhibit, onstage and off, perseverance, talent and drive. I hope that Austin continues not only to support the ‘up-and-coming’ musicians, but also recognize veteran women musicians, and women who support and help create the music industry. These individuals and groups (like HOME) are a vital part of the Austin music industry.”

What’s an industry outside of music that you think is essential for musicians to thrive?

Lurleen Ladd: Musicians are small business owners, and as such they have to have a business plan. As the saying goes, ‘Without a map, you don’t know where you’re going.’ The business plan is the map. Gotta get a map!

Andra Liemandt: As technology has become more and more integral to the music industry, I believe that it is imperative for musicians to stay current with the latest technology and platforms for connecting with and captivating their audiences— whether that’s learning social media skills, different music software, etc.

Mélat: In order for musicians to thrive, every industry is essential, but at the same time, none of them are essential. To me, the definition of “thrive” is the real question here. Music at a large scale is essentially a business, so the more industries at play, the larger the impact. However, as you go back in time, more and more modern technologies and industries are removed, yet the music still exists and reaches the masses. So as much as all other industries are important, they are also not pertinent to the power of music to eventually find its way.

Organizations to support

Marcia Ball and Nancy Coplin co-created HOME, an organization helping artists age 55 and older with living expenses, rent and utilities. Here are other organizations all of the cover women urge you to support:

• Black Fret

• DAWA Heals

• Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM)

• KindMusic

• MusiCares

• Sonic Guild

• Swan Songs

• Texas Music Commission

• Wavemaker Women in Music

“

We [need to] SHAKE up the music industry even more with INCLUSION and DIVERSITY.

—Leti Garza

meet the Cover Women

Christine Albert

“[I’m] a lifelong musician, singer/songwriter and the founder and CEO of Swan Songs, a nonprofit that fulfills musical last wishes in central Texas, chair emeritus on the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy and a MusiCares board member.”

Marcia Ball

“I have been playing music since 1970. I tour all around the world. I started with a band called Freda and the Firedogs in 1972, and that established me as a local artist and performer in what was then known as the progressive country music scene. From there, I began forming my own bands, and so I’ve subsequently made 17 albums. I’ve got five Grammy nominations and a bunch of Blues Music Awards, that’s kind of the national blues award. I’m in the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, and I was a Texas State musician in 2016. In February, I received the Darrell K Royal Texas Music Legend Award from the Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Association.”

DJ Kay Cali

California native Kayleen Nelson has been DJing events for many years. Classically trained as a percussionist, she naturally took to the turntables. She spins everything from Motown to hip hop, country, rock, Latin, R&B and more. DJ Kay Cali has provided the soundtrack for private celebrity events, including Ferrari, Autosports and Beyoncé’s House of Dereon in Houston, to name a few.

DJ Cassandra Cassie Shankman, a.k.a. DJ Cassandra, is a DJ/sound curator, composer, producer, educator and all-around creative. She grew up between Texas and London and is a big believer in community and collaboration. She DJ’d events for global clients such as Goldman Sachs, Teen Vogue, Google, Bumble, Adidas, NBC, SXSW, Virgin, Expedia, The Recording Academy, ACL Live and Tito’s Vodka. She DJ’d the AppleTV+ WeCrashed premiere party for Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto. She has opened and closed for Blake Shelton, LP Giobbi, RUN-DMC and a Sheryl Crow/Joe Ely ACL Hall of Fame event. Shankman has been recognized for orchestration, composition and music preparation work in award-winning films featuring directors and actors such as Terrence Malick, Martin Sheen and Natalie Portman. As a pianist, she’s played and recorded with musicians from indie-rock artist Ben Kweller to DEVO’s frontman Mark Mothersbaugh and jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon at the Lincoln Center.

Nancy Coplin

“I have been involved in the Austin music scene for about 35 years now. In 2020, I was inducted into the Austin Music Industry Hall of Fame, as the first woman. In 1988 I was appointed to the first Austin Music Commission and elected the first chair. We worked on many issues but three major accomplishments were the Music Industry Loan program, which recommended the City of Austin guarantee low-interest loans to music businesses; the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial; and the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ slogan. I worked with Mayor Pro Tem Max Nofziger to come up with this slogan. I’ve been a talent buyer for the iconic Armadillo Christmas Bazaar for 33 years and a talent buyer for Austin Bergstrom International Airport from 1999 to 2013, booking over 7000 performances. I hosted eight years of official SXSW showcases at the Saxon Pub, did artist management for Paul Oscher of Muddy Waters Band and CJ Chenier, the crown prince of Zydeco. I’ve done artist consultation and sync licensing with Tunego. I am a founding and current board member and officer for HOME, which pays rent and/ or utilities for older Austin musicians.”

Mama Duke

Kori Roy, a.k.a. Mama Duke, is a two-time Austin hip-hop Award winning artist and Austin Music Award Nominee. Taking home both Artist of the Year and Female Artist of the Year in one night, it’s no wonder she can move effortlessly in a male-dominated industry. Opening up for the group Naughty by Nature within the first three months of her first ever performance since moving to Austin gave her the adrenaline she needed to catapult her into everyone’s top three females in hip hop in Texas. Since then, Mama Duke has performed over 300 times, including at Austin City Limits and Austin FC’s Amphitheater. She dropped her debut album Ballsy in December 2020, and in 2022 she was invited to sit on the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy.

Leti Garza

“I’m an entertainer, dancer, musician, singer-songwriter, educator and producer from Houston. I come from a celebrated family of singer-songwriters across the Americas and value the connections between personal histories as it affects the present and tempers the future. My music is versatile, dynamic, ever growing. It is primarily bilingual, but also multilingual at any one show. I have two projects: Leti Garza y La Banda and Leti Garza Solo (or Trio). The music of Leti Garza y La Banda is a sizzling dance band with North American influences of Latin Jazz, Pop and

Salsa—the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of Cuba, the dance rhythms of Colombia and the Dominican Republic and the bossa nova and samba rhythms of Brazil. Leti Garza Solo is a listening band. This music is drawn from my Texas roots of American folk, musical theater, Latin trova and, when enticed, American songbook standards and jazz.

Lurleen Ladd

“I’m Lurleen Ladd, singer/songwriter. I am the founder of Wavemaker Women in Music, which focuses on women 40-plus in the music industry. I’m also a serial entrepreneur and nonprofit founder in the Austin area.”

Andra Liemandt

“I am proud to be deeply involved in several industries, with a focus on arts and music and philanthropy. For many years, I’ve been a member of an all-woman band called The Mrs., on a mission to empower women across the nation through our music. I’ve always known that my heart beats for a deeper purpose: to pave the way toward a kinder world. This passion led me to create The Kindness Campaign in 2015, a nonprofit that provides art-infused emotional health tools beginning at age 3. One of our most prominent and transformative programs is KindMusic, a beginner-friendly songwriting platform for schools, companies and groups to help facilitate turning feelings into music, all while employing local artists. We thoughtfully work alongside experts in the field like musicians and counselors to give people of all ages the opportunity to write music and build a community throughout the process. The result is a professionally mixed song on Spotify, using lyrics written by the group.”

Mélat

“I am an R&B-ish artist born, raised (by way of Ethiopia) and educated (hook ’em!) here in the ATX. [I’m] a singer, songwriter, model and director.”

Lisa Morales

“I’m a songwriter, performer and producer. I’ve been in this business touring and performing all of my life. My first tour was in Germany when I was 18. In the early days, I was the manager, the booking agent, the radio promoter, the PR person, the everything-that-was-needed-to-makethis-live person, because that’s what it always takes to move forward.”

p1nkstar

p1nkstar (“ur fav electr0nic pop superstar”) creates a world far removed from this dimension’s binaries through

music and conceptual shows mixing saccharine beats with subversive lyrics. Merging hyperpop with neo-perreo and club, she has been described as “early Aughts Paris Hilton on Hello Kitty steroids” by The Austin Chronicle, who crowned her as their Queer Pop Princess. Since her performance debut in late 2016, p1nkstar has shared bills with Charli XCX, Crystal Waters, The Ladies of LCD Soundsystem, Alok V. Menon, Dorian Electra, JD Samson, OSHUN and Sateen. p1nkstar released her debut EP Number 1 Hits! on March 6, 2020, featuring five songs produced in collaboration with Mr.Kitty, Ben Aqua and Boy Sim. Bringing her Latinx roots to the increasingly popular hyperpop genre, p1nkstar lays out a bilingual story that touches on the complexities of her queer, trans and immigrant identities in our hyper-mediated digital world. Since moving from Mexico in 2014, p1nkstar has rapidly become an emblematic figure in the Texas nightlife scene by opening inclusive spaces that center the work of queer and trans artists of color in a city that is rapidly becoming whiter and straighter. p1nkstar has received two Best of Austin awards for her space-making work in the arts and nightlife and has been presented as the future of nightlife by The Austin Chronicle.

Elle Townley

Elle began performing publicly at age 8 and performed with a cover band at age 10. She especially takes pride in having sung the national anthem, including for the Round Rock Express, the Austin Spurs and at the Texas State Capitol. In March 2020, she earned a spot as a top-five finalist in the Houston Rodeo Rockstar competition and in October 2021, placed first in the Old Settler’s Music Festival Youth Talent Competition, earning a coveted set on the main stage for the 2022 festival. In 2022, she was nominated for the Young Artist of the Year award by the Texas Country Music Association. Through her work with PCG Artist Development in Nashville, Elle has increasingly focused on her own songwriting, collaborating with veteran songwriters and producers including Britton Cameron, Margaret Becker, Drew Womack, Kim McLean and Matt Noveskey. Her debut single “Trouble With Trouble” and second single “Fairweather Friend” were produced by Novesky and recorded at the legendary Orb Recording Studios in Austin. The song debuted in November 2020, and the accompanying video made its premiere on The Country Network. Her third release in March 2022, “One Too Many Heartaches,” and her latest single, “Fighter,” were produced and recorded in Nashville by Britton Cameron.

The Women of Radio

For almost a decade, KUTX has been making waves on the airwaves.

BY JENNY HOFF

Photo by Michael Minasi KUTX.

Front row, from left to right: Elizabeth McQueen, DJ Shani, Jacquie Fuller, Laurie Gallardo

Back row, from left to right: Miles Bloxson, Susan Castel, Deidre Gott, Taylor Wallace

If KUTX radio were cast in a rom-com from the 1980s, they would be the quirky, unassuming friend whose record collection included an array of eclectic artists way too cool to be mainstream. The friend who knew where the best underground shows were and was usually on a first-name basis with the band members. The one everyone flocked to for the music that’s really on the cutting edge.

KUTX celebrates its 10th anniversary on air this year. Dubbed “The Austin Music Experience,” the station launched on Jan. 2, 2013 (playing Willie Nelson’s “Bloody Mary Morning” at its first airing) after public radio station KUT 90.5 became a full-time news and information service and shifted its music to the new KUTX 98.9 FM. KUT’s sister station operates out of the Dealey Center for New Media building on the University of Texas campus.

It’s impossible not to be reminded of the days when vinyl records reigned supreme as soon as you step into the KUT/ KUTX office and studio space. A neon yellow see-through staircase dominates a room that is filled with cubicles, each one plastered with varied music artists’ paraphernalia. While you’ll see a few bands you recognize, like The Smashing Pumpkins and Grateful Dead, the cubicle walls are also adorned with lesser known, more beguiling artists, with names like Primo the Alien, Chief Cleopatra and Flora and Fawna.

It’s an eclecticism that weekday morning drive-time host Taylor Wallace-Riegel has always valued. “I like having a platform to support artists, to talk to people and connect with people,” she says. “I grew up in a small town but quickly got the reputation for being that ‘music person.’ My mom is big into ’80s pop; my dad is a big metal head. My uncle is a huge hip hop nerd. I always had that agency to listen to what I wanted. I was that 15-year-old with over 100 CDs.”

Wallace-Reigel interned at KUT as a college student and has essentially worked there ever since—transitioning from burning CDs into a digital format to becoming one of the bevy of female on-air hosts that dominate the airwaves during the week.

Having three back-to-back female DJs in the station’s lineup is yet one more thing that sets KUTX apart from commercial radio stations. Wallace-Reigel says it’s also what helps them find and elevate more highly talented female musicians that may not get noticed in a station whose team is male-dominated.

“I think it comes down to individual preference,” she says. “We have women of all generations here to speak to what people are listening to.”

Women like Jacquie Fuller, who believes KUTX’s progressive approach to radio is making waves on the airwaves. As a former on-air host in Minneapolis, she finally got a chance to return to her home state of Texas as an assistant program director at KUTX (“It took me three tries to get a job here”), and brought with her an idea she had been trying for years to get her Minnesota station to implement. Almost as soon as she arrived, she suggested KUTX celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8) by having only female music hosts on-air playing music by female-identifying artists. Program Director Matt Reilly immediately agreed. While the spirit of celebrating women remains, the format has changed slightly in the last couple of years. KUTX decided women should take International Women’s Day off as a holiday, so it’s now the male hosts playing all female-led music.

“I just like thinking of these artists as artists, but in the context of radio I think it is important to show the audience that the way it’s always been done is totally unnecessary,” says Fuller. “You’re not going to lose a lot of listeners because you’re playing a lot of women.”

Fuller goes on to clarify that while the International Women’s Day programming is an opportunity to give a special shoutout to female artists, it actually isn’t that different from their every day lineup, which already includes many female artists as well as artists from all walks of life, representing different races, ethnicities and sexual orientations.

“We don’t just break the rules for one day; we break the rules every day,” says Fuller.

We don’t just break the rules for one day; we break the rules every day.

—Jacquie Fuller

After Wallace-Reigel’s morning show, the next on-air host, Susan Castle, takes over the airwaves. When her show ends, it’s Laurie Gallardo, who has been named Best Radio Personality five years in a row by The Austin Chronicle Music Poll. KUTX’s podcast Pause/Play, born in 2020, when concerts came to a halt and the effect of the pandemic on Austin’s music scene was headline news, is also hosted by two women: Miles Bloxson and Elizabeth McQueen. Late Friday night host of The Groove Temple, DJ Shani, plays deep house music and promises that “when people tune in, they’ll experience a sound zone between the mid-neck and the mid-thigh.” As someone living with multiple sclerosis, she credits music with having aided in her healing process.

With KUTX holding the distinction of “Best Radio Station” at The Austin Chronicle Music Awards eight times, both WallaceReigel and Fuller hope the female-forward example KUTX has set will eventually influence the commercial radio industry as well, giving more women a chance to command the airwaves and in turn, more artists of more diverse backgrounds to get their big break.

Fuller recalls her interview for KUTX and being asked how she thought people defined Austin music. “White guys with guitars singing about the lonesome road was the first thing that came

to mind,” she says. “But I was very direct about what I wanted to do. I wanted to bust that myth. There is so much more than that, not just today, but also historically.”

When asked about which Austin musicians she’s most excited about right now, she says at least three-quarters of them would be R&B. “What I hope is that when people think of Austin music, they will think of Victory Grill [a historic music venue in Austin that has hosted famous African-American acts for 75 years] and hip hop, just as much as white guys playing guitar.”

STUDIO 1A

As Wallace-Reigel sets up her small anchor desk in a corner of Studio 1A, the magical part of the building where featured musicians will play on-air before a small live audience, the band Redbud chats with KUT’s multimedia crew as they test the shot for the cameras.

The band members, who would make Dazed and Confused casting directors swoon with delight, can’t wipe the smiles off their faces as they set up to play their unique sound, headed by female singer/songwriter Katie Claghorn. Decked out in ’80s-style clothing and hairstyles—which has become less

Photo courtesy of KUTX 98.9.

Taylor Wallace and Diedre Gott pose with musician Orville Peck

nostalgic and more current trend—they play their first song, producing a distinct, transportative sound, noticeably different from the billboard hits that dominate the commercial airwaves. With a calm, buttery voice (which Claghorn immediately notes must be a prerequisite to work at KUTX), Wallace-Reigel interviews the artist between songs as Deirdre Gott, assistant producer of KUTX Live Music Booking and Content, sits back to enjoy the show now that the pre-production work is complete.

“I feel super lucky to have found a spot where I can professionally champion the Austin music scene,” says Gott after the recording. “That was always a side hustle. To get paid to do this and be taken seriously is awesome.”

Gott’s job would be a dream for any music enthusiast. She gets paid to go to shows around town and scout for local talent that KUTX can feature in their live music recordings in Studio 1A and at events like the Rock the Park Concert Series. Having spent more than a decade in commercial radio, first at KISS FM and then 101X, Gott especially appreciates the freedom and flexibility public radio offers due to its funding model. Rather than having to attract advertiser dollars, more than half of KUT and KUTX’s funding comes from donations from its

Photos courtesy of KUTX 98.9.

Jacquie Fuller Assistant Program Director

Laurie Gallardo KUTX afternoon host

KUTX LIVE AT SCHOLZ GARTEN

March 15 through 18, mornings

$10 entrance fee

DATES TO NOTE:

Wednesday through Friday: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., a band plays at the top of each hour (four bands each day)

Saturday: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., a band plays at the top of each hour (four bands). $10 entrance benefitting Central Texas Food Bank (includes bottomless coffee)

ROCK THE PARK AT MUELLER LAKE PARK

March 24, April 21, May 5 and June 2 6:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. • Free

Assist Program Director Jacquie Fuller at KUTX's Rock the Park

30,000 members. Members that don’t need to only hear songs they already know to enjoy a music program. Members that trust the music aficionados running KUTX to choose artists they will delight in discovering.

“I love radio because I love music,” says Gott. “In commercial radio, it wasn’t about the music. It was more about being a personality. I’m not a personality; I’m just a music fan. KUTX is cool because everybody here is a music nerd. It’s a magical place.”

ADVOCATING. ELEVATING.

Gott’s enthusiasm for discovering local Austin musicians with unique styles is partly due to the restricted music choices she herself had as a kid. Born in a small rural town in Missouri, Gott was raised strictly on classical music with Broadway tunes being the one reprieve from Bach and Beethoven. (Her brother now plays bassoon for the St. Louis Symphony.) She got her first taste of alternative music when she moved to Austin in her early 20s and attended an Octopus Project show at the Church of the Friendly Ghost. She’s never looked back.

Although KUTX prides itself on finding new sounds, the team members don’t make it a mandate to eschew more mainstream artists. Fuller believes in sandwiching new sounds between old, familiar favorites. Wallace-Reigel admits to having a soft spot for the Backstreet Boys. Gott is an avid Dolly Parton fan, having performed at Dollywood when she was still an aspiring Broadway star.

“I like Dolly’s earlier music the best,” she explains. “Her older songs are more poppy, which is my vibe.”

She’s even orchestrated three Dolly Parton birthday bash concerts, featuring Dolly impersonator drag queens and local musicians singing old Dolly songs, as a fundraiser for ARCH, the downtown shelter that sits amongst some of Austin’s best music venues.

“In the spirit of Dolly philanthropy, I wanted to help our own unhoused community,” Gott says.

Serving the community is also a mission of KUTX as a whole. KUTX Live, which takes place at Scholz Garten March 15 through 18, will feature a lineup of local artists who will play every morning for four days to benefit the Central Texas Food Bank. The $10 entrance fee includes bottomless coffee.

The Rock the Park music series Mueller Lake Park offers free music for the whole family once a month starting March 23 and lasting through June.

In celebration of the station’s 10th birthday, Mayor Adler proclaimed Jan. 2, 2023, “KUTX 98.9, The Austin Music Experience Day,” to recognize a decade of championing the Austin music scene.

For the women of KUTX, championing the Austin music scene means using their platforms every day as a way to advocate, elevate and celebrate the true diversity of the city’s artists.

“Sometimes when the world feels like it’s on fire, I realize we all have our lanes,” says Fuller. “My lane is music; my lane is public radio. When I come to work I’m going to do what I can to have women artists, artists of color, any artist who has been historically disenfranchised, represented here. That’s my way of contributing.”

How has YPO impacted you and the work you do?

When I first became a CEO in 2018, I felt isolated and intimidated. Joining the Austin YPO community provided me with a community of peers that I can lean on across leadership and even personal challenges. Having this support system behind me has been invaluable over the last three years.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of working with YPO and propelling their mission?

The mission of YPO is about creating better leaders through lifelong learning and idea exchange. Through both my forum and my experience serving on the YPO board, I truly believe I have grown to be a better leader, and I have benefited from the exchange of ideas and best practices from some of the best leaders in Austin. YPO has enriched my view on leadership, taking risk, finding balance and so many other topics.

What advice do you have for young women who want to break that “glass ceiling” and become leaders in their industries?

Take more risk. Women want to be perfect in everything we do, and I think that impacts whether we raise our hand for an opportunity. It takes courage to step up to new roles, especially when you know there will be the occasional failure. Jump in and take risks. What’s the worst that can happen if you fail? Those bruises and cuts can actually make you stronger and better.

The world’s largest leadership community of chief executives, over 30,000 extraordinary global members, coming together to become better leaders and better people.

MARISSA TARLETON, CEO

Tax Guide for Musicians (and Other Freelancers)

Unlikely deductions for creative freelancers.

BY JENNY HOFF

It’s tax season, and if you’re lucky enough to be a working musician, it’s time to get your receipts in order to make sure you don’t pay more than you must. For creatives, there are many deductions that can significantly bring down your taxable income.

You may already know that you can deduct your travel expenses for a gig, depreciation of your equipment and the cost of studio space, whether it’s in your house or rented in another location. But with creative jobs like music, art and theater, other expenses add up that you may not realize you can also deduct. Traveling and planning to catch a show while you’re away? Deduct. Subscribing to a music streaming service, getting professional photos taken, printing out fliers? Deduct. Going to a concert with friends? Deduct. According to TurboTax, “You attend these performances in order to enjoy them, but also to learn about musical trends, which makes them deductible.” That includes your travel to the concerts, the tickets and parking costs. If you’re a writer, the same goes for book conferences or author lectures; an actor can deduct the cost of going to other theatrical performances. Other costs that may be deductible depending on your creative career include:

• Headshots

• Social media campaigns

• Netflix and other streaming services (for actors, as a research deduction)

• Hair services

• Union dues

• Promotional materials

• Costumes and accessories

• Equipment

• Website maintenance

• Office supplies

• Home utility bills

• Travel (as long as there is an educational or business-based element involved)

• Seminars

Of course, your costs would have to add up to be more than the standard deduction, and you’ll want to have receipts for proof in case of an audit.

SAVE ON TAXES AND SAVE FOR RETIREMENT

If you’re not in a traditional job that has 401(k) benefits—tax savings vehicles to help you prepare for retirement—you should consider taking advantage of the 401(k) options designed specifically for self-employed freelancers.

Two of the most popular options for creating a retirement account that includes tax benefits are a SEP IRA and a Solo 401(k). A SEP IRA allows you to contribute up to 25% of your business’s income (up to $61,000 annually) tax-free into a traditional retirement account. It will also grow tax-free until you take it out at retirement age. Even if you have a full-time day job with a traditional 401(k), you can still take advantage of a SEP IRA by stashing away some retirement money from your shows.

A Solo 401(k) doesn’t restrict you to only contributing a certain percentage of your pay. You can contribute all of it up to the annual maximum of $61,000. You can also make employer contributions, which allows you to save more (as both the employee and the employer). There is also a Roth version, which allows you to pay taxes on your income going into the fund, but when you take it out (presumably at retirement) you don’t have to pay taxes on the growth.

It’s worth doing a little research on the options available to you. While a rock ’n’ roll lifestyle might be a fun way to live while you’re young, you’ll be grateful for the forethought you put into stashing some cash away once the music days are behind you.

THEDRAGONFLYPRINCESS

MARCH 25 TO APRIL 15

The VORTEX

As one of the highlights of our 35th Coral Season, The VORTEX proudly presents a sweeping musical tale of magic, power and transformation with an all-new production of The Dragonfly Princess. Long, long ago and far away, the Ovo ruled the magical Faery Realm of Ovona. We journey with Princess Mala as she rides Xéphyra the Dragonfly into the wilds in search of Vyn, the renegade Sorceress. The Magic of the Pearls, the Mysteries of the Temples and the Secrets of the Ages are revealed as Mala is transformed from the Green Princess into the Red Queen.

MedievalXModern Through JULY 9

The Blanton

Medieval X Modern presents the work of modern artists from Europe and the Americas who created prints, drawings, paintings, illustrated books, sculptures and decorative objects informed by the spectacular craftsmanship and compelling historical figures of the Middle Ages. Drawing primarily from the Blanton’s permanent collection, Medieval X Modern offers a wide array of artistic responses to the European Middle Ages, including one of the museum’s most iconic works—Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin.

WATERLOOGREENWAY'S POP-UPPICNIC

APRIL 1

Waterloo Greenway

Waterloo Greenway’s annual Pop-Up Picnic & Fundraiser is returning to Waterloo Park! Spread out your blanket and enjoy familyfriendly activities, live music and a variety of delicious picnic baskets prepared by some of Austin’s favorite restaurants, including Antonelli’s Cheese Shop, Franklin’s Barbecue, Home Slice Pizza, McGuire Moorman Hospitality and many more to be announced soon! All proceeds will help keep Waterloo Park beautiful and activated with free familyfriendly programming throughout the year. Tickets go on sale March 6.

Women-Owned Entertainment Resources in Austin

Women take the reins in Austin’s music scene, from venues to mental health resources.

BY AUSTIN WOMAN

VENUES AND BOOKING AGENCIES:

Cheer Up Charlies: Partners Tamara Hoover and Maggie Lea opened Cheer Up Charlies in 2014, as a space for dancing, hanging out and inclusivity for the LGBTQIA+ community. Before opening the venue, the couple owned a food truck on the same property, where they sold chocolates and sandwiches. Now, the spacious and vibrant bar has a vegan food truck out back, kombucha on tap, fresh juice cocktails, and is host to drag shows, DJ sets, live music and RuPaul’s Drag Race screenings. Outside, you can dance under a puffy pink parachute, and inside, disco-balls line the ceiling. The owners have emphasized the importance of providing a progressive, comfortable and positive atmosphere, and their bar stands out as a space where everyone is welcome. The venue regularly hosts top-surgery benefits, where the proceeds help those transitioning receive a top surgery.

cheerupcharlies.com

cheerupcharlies

cheerupcharlies CheerUpCharlies

Daydream Believer Creative: Charlie Faye and Adrienne Lake, two veteran members of the music community, joined forces to launch Austin-based creative services agency Daydream Believer in 2021. According to their website, The Daydream Believer mission is “to guide and inspire artists and organizations by providing individualized creative services including publicity, consulting, event planning, team-building and project management.” Lake, who’s worked in A&R, publicity, consulting and music journalism, has been in collaboration with the Austin Music Foundation, working directly with artists, music businesses and nonprofits. Faye is a musician and songwriter herself, and has been a highly regarded consultant since 2009. Daydream Believer Creative’s initial client roster includes musicians, music organizations and music-related projects such as Caleb De Casper, Chris Conde, Wendy Colonna, The Belle Sounds, School of Rock, 200 Academy/Willie Nelson’s Austin Opera House and multiple Pride, nonprofit and Black History Month events. daydreambelievercreative.com

daydreambelievercreativeatx daydreambelievercreative

Howdy Gals: Since 2017, this woman-run Austin booking collective has made a name for themselves by booking local rising bands at venues like Hole in The Wall, Hotel Vegas and The Ballroom. They strive “to bring inclusivity, diversity and safety to everything” they do, according to their website. Belicia Luevano, Maya Van Os, Shannon Wiedemeyer and Kelly Ngo are the original founders, and the Howdy Gals team have been made up of women or nonbinary staff since being founded. They have since expanded to San Francisco, Chicago and New York but have kept their same values despite the growth of the collective. To support Howdy Gals, subscribe to their monthly zine for a small price in order to receive fun, unique gifts in the mail that range from free tickets, to posters, to calendars. The team also coordinates live-music birthday celebrations with the birthday prince or princesses’ favorite bands. howdygalsatx.com howdygalsatx howdygalsatx

HowdyGals

Juice Consulting: Founded in 2007 in Houston, Texas, by Heather Wagner Reed, Juice Consulting’s mission is to bring the best in entertainment to Austin. Her majority-woman team works tirelessly to ensure the Live Music Capital of the World has access to every corner of the entertainment industry. Wagner Reed herself has a long and storied history in the music industry. Not only has she served on the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy, but for five years she worked as the senior product manager for 28-time GRAMMY Award winner Beyoncé herself. Wagner Reed has taken her extensive experience to bring diverse and varied entertainment. Their mission (or mantra, as they call it) is to “add vitality to your campaign.” As a “full-service agency that offers ‘new media’ strategies, top-notch creative work (i.e., web, branding, and design) and extensive traditional media public relations work,” Juice Consulting has set the standard for full-scale entertainment in Austin. juiceconsulting.com

Juice-Consulting juiceconsulting juiceconsulting

Little Longhorn Saloon: The historic dive bar Little Longhorn Saloon brought in countless local artists and became a stomping ground for Austin music-heads under the ownership of Ginny Kalmbach, but after her death in 2020, the bar’s ownership passed to Terry Gaona, who trained under Kalmbach’s wing. Kalmbach started working at the saloon as a bartender and took over ownership in 1982, and now, Gaona follows in her footsteps, keeping up the bar with the same positive energy. The bar hosts blues, country or rock musicians every week and serves cold beers and dancing six nights a week. The bar also designates certain nights for two-stepping. Every Sunday, the bar hosts its infamous Chicken Sh*t Bingo, where crowds gather around in hopes to win big, while listening to live music. Gaona, who owns the bar with her husband, continued the tradition from Kalmbach’s ownership. If you are at home sick or looking for some on-the-couch music and entertainment, the bar streams live performances on their website, where bands are also listed.

thelittlelonghornsaloon.com TheLittleLonghornSaloon thelittlelonghornsaloon TLLonghorn

Sahara Lounge: Eileen Bristol, another Austin woman who strives to create a welcoming environment in her venue, opened Sahara Lounge in 2012 and co-owns it with her son Topaz. The bar is reminiscent of “old Austin,” with its relaxed atmosphere and plethora of live music. Bristol opened the lounge in a historic building on Webberville Road to offer live music to the people of Austin. TC’s Lounge occupied the space before the Sahara Lounge, but Bristol has kept most of the old furniture and decoration to give the bar that old-timey feel. The lounge serves beer on tap and West African dishes to enjoy while you’re listening to blues, African music, indie and anything in between. The stage has an almost elementaryschool-pageant feel, with red and white curtains, Christmas lights and a cut-out sign, while the dimly lit dance floor welcomes dancers and listeners alike. On Saturdays, the bar hosts Africa Night, where they bring world-renowned African musicians to play, while the bar provides a free buffet, and the dance floor opens up to welcome a plethora of people…and there’s a fire pit out back!

saharalounge.com SaharaLoungeATX saharaloungeatx

thesaharalounge SaharaLoungeAustinTX

FIVE WOMEN DJS IN AUSTIN:

p1nkstar: p1nkstar is a local hyperpop DJ who delivers an unforgettable music experience by mixing lyrics, beats, dancing and video. The Austin Chronicle named her a Queer Pop Princess, and since moving to Austin in 2014, she has created inclusive spaces for queer and trans people of color, pushing back against an increasingly gentrified city. As a trans artist, she consistently advocates for trans rights and has received two Austin Chronicle Best of Austin awards for the inclusive spaces she creates as a musical artist. She released her first EP entitled Number 1 Hits! in 2020. The EP is bilingual and consists of “futuristic beats and highly processed vocals in which p1nkstar renders and invites her listeners into a queer futurity she envisions.” Her performances are exhilarating and dynamic and tap into the early-2000s heyday of pop. p1nkstar.com p1nkstar.icon p1nkstar p1nkstar_ shorturl.at/bswW5 p1nkstar

DJ Kay Cali: Kayleen Nelson, a.k.a. DJ Kay Cali is a California native, but has made a name for herself in Austin by performing at venues, events and parties. DJ Cali mixes all varieties of music when on stage, including R&B, Latin and Motown—and always has a smile while doing it. Upon moving to Austin, Cali created The Groove Theory, an event that serves as “Austin’s R&B location.” Along with The Groove Theory, Cali created The Remedy Brunch, a Sunday space for people to gather and have fun before the week starts again. Cali emphasizes the healing power of music and the ability for music to create good times.

djkaycali DJKayCali

DJ Cassandra: Cassie Shankman, a.k.a. DJ Cassandra, is a DJ, composer, producer and educator. She is an Austin native, attended the University of Texas, and in 2020 was an Austin’s 40 Under 40 finalist. She has helped compose and produce music for films and has created sounds for local brands like KXAN. Shankman is at the forefront of biomedical music composition, which is used in rehabilitation for people struggling with neurological diseases. In 2017 and 2022 she spoke as a South By Southwest panelist, discussing music and medicine, and in 2018, she was a SXSW Innovation Award finalist for her Movement Tracks Projects, which seeks to improve mobility and prevent falls with music. She serves on the Recording Academy’s Texas Chapter education committee and is a mentor for UT’s Bridging Discipline’s Program. When it comes to the tracks, DJ Cassandra creates a fun, uplifting atmosphere with modern and throwback hits including Lizzo, Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar. soundsbycassandra.com djcassandra_ cassieshankman cassieshankman

DJ Mira Mira: Xochi Solis, a.k.a. DJ Mira Mira is an Austin artist who separates herself from other DJs by spinning vinyl records that speak to her Mexican heritage. According to her website, she uses vinyl because it has allowed her to connect with her Tejanx culture, while tapping into a plethora of music that may not be available to solely digital DJs. She primarily spins records that were made by Mexican Americans in the 20th century and produced by momand-pop labels that sought to record music which encapsulated Mexican culture. She cites a variety of record labels from around Texas that she frequently uses and admires, including Freddie Records from Corpus Christi, Tear Drop Records from Winnie, Ideal and Nopal Records, both based in Alice, and Falcon Records from McAllen. In her music, Solis seeks to preserve Tejanx culture and share it with a wider audience. On top of DJing, Solis is a renowned artist known for her multilayered collage paintings. xochisolis.com xochisolis

Chulita Vinyl Club: Other vinyl spinning DJs in Austin reside within the Chulita Vinyl Club, a collective of women, nonbinary, LGBTQIA+ and DJs of color who spin vinyl records around Austin to create a “safe space of empowerment.” The club uses vinyl as “a form of resistance against the erasure of color” by tapping into various cultures through music. They play a variety of genres including pop, punk, Tejano, soul and twee. Every week the club shares a mix from one of their members. The mix’s Soundcloud links and song lists are linked on their website, where you can also subscribe to their newsletter.

chulitavinylclub.com chulitavinylclub chulitavinylclub chulitavinylclub

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS & EDUCATION:

Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM): HAAM was created for musicians who struggle to afford health care in Austin. Founder Robin Shivers was a woman of privilege who understood her position and used it to advocate for those in need of resources. She took her experience working in the Seton health care system and applied it to her burgeoning love of music and Austin’s music scene. HAAM went public in 2005 with Shivers as its creator and Carolyn Schwarz as her handpicked executive director. For nearly two decades, HAAM has partnered with various health care providers and organizations in Austin including Ascension Seton, Estes Audiology, The YMCA and the St. David’s Foundation, providing a variety of health care services including routine dental work, doctor visits and prescriptions, psychiatric counseling sessions, eye exams, out-patient procedures, specialist referrals, hearing screenings, basic needs assistance and more. To date, HAAM has helped 6,500 musicians across seven counties gain access to over $123 million in health care services. myhaam.org myhaam myhaam myhaam

Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers

(HOME): Started by musicians Marcia Ball and Nancy Coplin, HOME’s sole mission is to ensure musicians in Central Texas over the age 55 are taken care of and given the reverence and respect they deserve, even as it becomes difficult for them to perform and create. Artists in particular often find it hard to access the resources they need to survive, especially regarding housing. According to their mission statement, “HOME was formed by a group of concerned women in Austin for the purpose of providing financial housing assistance for aging musicians in need.” Their first client was the formidable Miss Lavelle White, the legendary blues and soul singer who even at the age of 90 continued to pursue her passions onstage. “After 10 years, we are supporting or helping to support 22 older musicians in Austin,” says Ball. “Our mission is to pay rent or utilities or both for older musicians in Austin who’ve been here a long time.” homeaustin.org homeaustinorg homeaustinorg

homeaustinorg

Austin Soundwaves: Dr. Teresa Lozano-Long was an educator and philanthropist whose belief in the collective healing power of music propelled her to co-found Austin Soundwaves in 2011. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit was created with the sole purpose of bringing equitable and vital music education resources to children from every background across Central Texas. Dr. Lozano-Long jump started Austin Soundwaves through a considerable gift and the assembly of a group of Hispanic and Latinx community leaders, who subsequently made up the founding board of the organization. In 2022, Austin Soundwaves worked with 766 students through 23 programs. “I believe that the arts are simultaneously capable of generating aesthetic value while promoting social engagement. Therefore, Austin Soundwaves aims to expand cultural participation as a catalyst for human and community development,” Dr. Lozano-Long said on the first day of rehearsals at Austin Soundwaves. This was nearly 12 years ago, and today, Austin Soundwaves holds true to the mission of human and community development.

austinsoundwaves.org

AustinSoundwaves

atxsoundwaves shorturl.at/ovzBC

Omni Sound Project: Lisa Machac founded the Omni Sound Project—an audio engineering educational center—after making her own album in 2010, in order to create a music community of inclusive teachers and learners. The Omni teachers are all women, gender nonconforming, trans or allies, according to their website, and they aim to teach underprivileged communities and highlight the talented women and LGBTQIA+ sound engineers within the industry. During the pandemic, Omni’s classes switched to an online format and became a success, attracting music lovers and teachers from around the world. omnisoundproject.com omnisoundproject shorturl.at/hkxAQ

Women That Rock: Founded in 2018 by music business entrepreneur Andie Aronow, Women That Rock is self-described as a “music curation and discovery platform with a mission to spotlight and celebrate the best rising women in music.” Since its creation, Women That Rock has enlightened and entertained Central Texas with both a digital platform and what they call “unforgettable live music experiences, bringing to life unique femme-focused concerts, showcases, parties and music events that inspire and connect artists with fans.” The focus is to bring attention and recognition to littleknown female-fronted bands and woman-identified artists. Along with hosting one to three showcases a month in New York, Women That Rock held its first showcase at SXSW 2019, where a portion of whose proceeds were donated to the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. “Women That Rock seeks to lift up badass grrrls making waves in the music world and to foster a community of womxn supporting one another through music.”

womenthatrock.co

Women-That-Rock womenthatrock

Thank you, Austin. I Love You.

Self-described “R&B-ish” artist Mélat gives thanks to the city that broke her out of her shell.

BY MÉLAT

“Keep Austin Weird,” “What Starts Here Changes the World,” “Austin hasta la muerte” and “Live Music Capital of the World” are phrases I’ve heard my entire life living in Austin. Maybe it’s the city’s spirit, or just pride, but somehow I’ve taken these slogans to be a personal call to action, a personal affirmation of my being. Austin isn’t perfect, but nevertheless, this town is the setting for my story, and I love it for everything it has shaped me to be.

My parents left for the U.S. at a time when their home, Ethiopia, was controlled by a genocidal communist regime. Friends, family and others their age were forced to comply or be killed. Nothing short of fate allowed them to escape and end up in Austin, where they planted their roots—and now here I am.

When I was born, my parents received a letter from my grandmother with a name suggestion. She suggested “Addis Alem” (“New World”), but she was too late. My grandmother, ever so intuitive, called me by this name anyway, as I was the first child to be born outside of Ethiopia, in a “new world.” My birth was a new beginning for my family. After me, whether it was a cousin or sibling, I felt the pressure to set an example and guide every one of us that followed for generations to come in all that I did.

Family would visit and, yes, Austin represented our pride and joy. We were proud of the home we had built and loved showing it off. We’d take family to the state capitol to show them its ominous beauty; we’d bring them to The Oasis to show them the nature our city boasted. We were proud, hopeful, and I knew one day, I wanted to be the reason not only my family, but people from all over the world, knew about the strange yet genuinely loving town called Austin.

As a child, I tried my best to pass the days unnoticed, but no matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to stand out. This was something that bothered me then, but today I know to stand out is the pathway of my calling. Standing out has made me stronger and has forced me to believe in the beauty of every individual’s innate “weird” uniqueness. My background, my family history, my look were characteristics that the predominately white schools and daycares I attended couldn’t seem to fathom. All they knew (thought they knew) of Ethiopia was the “starving children” they’d see on TV. They were ignorant of the country’s beauty

and bounty that my parents were so disheartened to leave behind. Despite this, I was determined to follow my calling and took my first step to “stardom” by joining the choir in the fifth grade. The stage had found me. A blending of voices, with the world unable to decipher my voice apart from others—at this point in my life, the choir became my safe, happy place.

Fast forward a decade. After years of stage fright and delight, I took a leap of faith and recorded an actual song… then another, and another, until it was an unstoppable force within me. It was incredible. I went from being so nervous that I blacked out during every performance, forgetting my every move, to opening for some of the most illustrious acts in some of the most illustrious places around the world. This freedom to find my way, at my own pace, is the Austin way, and as I grow, it becomes more evident that we can find courage in our culture. This courage to do it my way allows me to be the example I always strived to be.

In a way, my story is the Austin story. The story of a misfit finding her footing as an outsider and becoming something no one expected. Our town never asked to stand out, but Austin and its people were born to do nothing less. It’s the ATX way.

I am a first-generation Ethiopian-American, R&B singer, Black woman, Texas-Ex, with big blonde curly hair who gets to travel the world telling tales of love. I am weird; I am changing the world; I love Austin to the death of me, and I am indeed live music. It’s not without its flaws and imperfections, but still my environment is my mirror, and I am its reflection.

Thank you, Austin. I love you.

Photo by Paola Mathé. Styled by Fanm Djamn and Buenas_Vibes.

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